Music-box



(No Model.) v '2 SheetsSheet 1.

T.v ROBIN & J. A. MAILLOUX.

MUSIC BOX.

N0. 364,959. Patented June 14, 1887 WLQESEEE. I 1 I VE UJK f I T/woniule 06m.

N. PETERS'Phulq-hbmgnpur. Washington, D. C.

(No ModelJ 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2.

T. ROBIN 8v J. A. MAILLOUX. MUSIC BOX.

No. 364,959. Patented June 14,1887.

n. PEIERS, mmmm mw, wn-um m. u. c.

UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

THEODULE ROBIN AND JAMES ADOLPHUS MAILLOUX, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MUSIC-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,959, dated June 14, 1887.

Application filed March 3, 1887.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, THEODULE ROBIN and JAMES ADOLPHUS MAILLoUx, residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Musical Boxes; and we do hereby declare the same to be describcd-in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- 1 Figurel is a top viewv of the mechanism of a musical box, parts of the teeth of the comb being shown as removed, in order to exhibit the rod F and its spring H. Fig. 2 is an inner end view, and Fig. 3 a side elevation, of the mainspring gear and case and parts connected therewith. Fig. 4 is an elevation of that end of the mechanism at which the fly is situated. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken at that end of the toothed cylinder B which is next to the fly. Fig. 6 is a side view of the fan-train main gear of the toothed cylinder B, with its groove and stopping-lever.

In many music-boxes the mechanism that is usually employed to effect the stoppage of the toothed cylinder when the neutral line of it is brought around directly in front of the teethof the comb has to be actuated by hand-that is, its lever has to be moved by a person in the right direction in order for the stoppage of the cylinder to take place at the proper time, before the mainspring has run down or has power to complete an entire revolution; otherwise the arrest of motion of the toothed cylinder is liable to occur with more or less of the teeth of the comb riding upon teeth or pins of the cylinder, which is very objectionable. We would further remark that in musical boxes it is notnew to have an automatically stopping device consisting of a lever one arm of which has a pin to take into a notch on the cylinder-gear at the termination of a revolution thereof, the other end of such lever being then broughtinto the path of revolution of the fan-vanes in order to stop the fan. As instances of such device, see Fig. 3 of British Patent 3,600 for 1867; also the French Patent 108,875, for 1875.

\Vith our invention the toothed cylinder is Serial No. 229,512. (No model) arrested in its revolutions by mechanism which acts automatically, or requires no manual movement of any part of it, preparatory to its action at the proper period, to bring the neutral line of the cylinder directly in front of the comb. By neutral line is meant that part or straight portion of the cylinder from one end of it to the other which is without pins or teeth, it being the portion at which the tune commences or ends.

The nature of our invention is defined in the claims hereinafter presented In the drawings, A denotes the mainspring barrel or case of a music-box as provided not only with a gear, a, to engage, as usual, with a pinion on the shaft of the toothed cylinder B, but with the common or mainspring stop-motion gears b and c.

G is the fly or rotary fan, which is actuated by a worm, (I, connected with a train, f, of gears operated by the large gear 0, fixed on the outer end of the cylinder B.

In carrying out our invention as represented we arrange concentrically with the arbor g of the barrel A a fiat annulus, D, provided with a guide pin or stud, N, extending from it through a hole in the standard E of the frame for supporting the said barrel A, such pin and hole being to guide the annulus D in its movements rectilinearly from and toward the said barrel. From the annulus D a rod, F, is extended loosely through a hole, z, in the standard E, andalso through a stationary post, G, in rear of which and encompassing the rod is a spiral spring, H, for moving the rod rearwardly, such spring bearing at one end against the post and at the other against a pin, k, going through the rod. -At its outer end the said rod is beveled or inclined, as shown at Z, and extends directly under a spring, in, projecting from a lever, I, fulcrumed to the standard J of the frame, or part thereof that supports the fan 0 and its operative mechanism. This lever I has a catch or hook, n, extending from it, as shown, which, when the lever is raised, is carried into the path of revolution of the stopping-arm 0, that projects from the spindle p of the fan 0. Another spring, q, extends, as shown, from the lever I and bears against a pin, r, projecting from the standard J, such spring being to depress the lever so as to move the hook 91 below the path of revolution of the arm 0.

K is a cam extending from the gear I) close to one of its terminal notches. The gear (6 in revolving carries the stop-motion gear b in a circular orbit about the single-toothed wheel a, which is fixed on the winding-arbor r of the spring in the case A, such wheel 0 serving to partially revolve the gear 6 in each revolution of the gear a until the tooth of the wheel 0 may enter the last terminal notch of the wheel I), which taking place the barrel A will be stopped from revolving just before the force of the spring is exhausted.

Thepurpose and operation of the gears band 0 are well understood by music-box makers, and therefore need not be further herein described. \Vhile the wheel I) is being revolved the cam K is being made to intcrmittingly approach the axis of the arbory. At a proper time such cam-by the revolution of the barrel A--will be forced against the rounded periphery of the annulus 1), and in so doing will move such annulus toward the standard 10, whereby the rod F will in like manner he moved against the spring at, so as to force such spring upward, and, as aconse(p1enee, to produce a pressure upward on the lever l. The said lever I, as shown in Fig. 1, extends laterally over the gear 0 and downward in manner as shown at s, and is provided with a pin or stud, t, that enters a circular groove, u, in the side of the wheel 0, (see Fig. (3,) such groove being concentric with the wheel. A notch or recess, 2), opens out of the groove u, as shown in Fig. 3, such notch being arranged for the stud I to enter itwhen the neutral line orspace 40 of the toothed cylinder B shall be directly in front of the teeth of the comb.

From the above it will be seen that by the action of the rod F on the spring at the lover I wiil be forced upward, so as to press the stud tagainst the upper periphery of the groove u,- also, that at the time for stoppage of the cylinder B the stud twill be forced upward into the notch or recess 22, and thus cause the arresting of the cylinder. The hook a, being raised with the lover I into the path of movement of the arm 0 of the fan, will arrest the fan at or about at the time of the stoppage of the cylinder.

\Ve claim in a musical box- 1. The combination, with the toothed cylinder and the rotary 'fan having mechanisms for revolving them, as described, of an automatic ally-operative stop-motion, substantially as represented, consisting of the cam K, projecting from the notched gear I), the annulus 1), its red F, spring H, post G, lover I, hook 1:, arm 0, springs m and q, stud t, groove i1, and recess 12, such groove and recess beingin the gear 6 and such arm 0 being projected from the spindle of the tan-wheel, and all being arranged and applied essentially in manner and to operate as specified.

2. The automatically-operaiivestop-motion, substantially as described, for a mnsicatbox cylinder and fan, it consisting of the cam K, projecting from the notched gear I), the annu lus 1), its red F, spring 11, post G, levcrl, hook n, arm 0, springs m and q, stud groove wand notch or recess 11, such groove and recess being in the gear 0 and such arm 0 being pro jected from the spindle of the fan-wheel, and all being arranged and applied essentially in manner and to operate as specified.

THEODULE ROBIN. JAMES ADO'LPH US M A'ILLOU'X.

Witnesses;

11. H. EDDY, S. N. PIPER. 

